Ruth Wood of Barrie Ontario on Official Bilingualism in Ontario – August 22, 2012

Official Bilingualism could be compared to a ‘smoke ring’.  This ring in Ontario, centered around Ontario’s French Language Services Act, included 22 designated areas of the province, and has gradually spread outward taking in more and more areas. Recently it was revealed that there are now 25 designated areas, which encompasses almost all of our province. This ‘smoke ring’ was puffed out by Premier David Peterson’s Ontario Liberal government in 1986, with no mandate from the people, and, due to miniscule media coverage, was unbeknown to most residents of Ontario, until it affected them personally. 

This situation is presently being felt in Cornwall, Ontario, where the smoke ring is closing in on English-speaking nurses at the local Cornwall Community Hospital. They are being denied access to jobs and career advancement due to the imposition of official bilingualism!

It would appear very few, residents of Ontario are aware of the manner in which the French Language Services Act was passed, and no wonder!  Anyone in Cornwall who is not familar with the details, might like to check the Hansard Report, under the date of November 18th, 1986, the date this Bill was passed. It should be available at your local library. The sole purpose of a Hansard is so that the electorate can be informed as to what has gone on in their Legislature.

The French Language Services Act, also known as Bill 8, was passed by only 55 members of the 125-member Ontario Legislature, not even one-half of the members in attendance, which certainly cannot be considered as being “passed unanimously” by the full Legislature. The 70 members who absented themselves presumably did so to indicate their disapproval.  They would represent a huge majority of residents of Ontario who had absolutely no say in the passing of this Bill.  It was passed almost entirely in the French language for the approximately 95% English-speaking residents of Ontario, and there was no recorded vote.

Many Canadians are of the misguided understanding that we live in a democracy, which in effect means that “the right to govern is derived from the consent of the governed”.

With almost nil media coverage prior to the passing of this Bill, one has to ask,  if it was such fair and equitable legislation why were the details not made public?  A well-respected Ontario Conservative MPP is on record as referring to the fact that there was no meaningful public discussion of the French Language Service Act, and no reference to a standing committee to look at what the implications of the legislation would mean to Ontario. He went on to say that the wholesale extension of French language services in Ontario represented a HORRENDOUS waste of taxpayers’ dollars, whose passage in l986 marked one of “the blackest days” in the history of the Legislature.

Unbelievable as it may seem, only after the Bill had been passed,  and after permission had been granted to circumvent the rules, was an English translation of second and third reading provided, and this translation was hidden away under a different date!! (After much searching, it was found in the Hansard Report of November 24th, 1986).

Initial criteria for providing services “where numbers warrant” was soon neatly and unceremoniously disposed of.  

 A salute to the Cornwall public officials, including Mayor Bryan McGillis, of South Stormont, and Dr. Tombler, who have indicated their opposition to a recent ruling requiring that hospital staff at Cornwall Community Hospital be bilingual. Also to Deputy Mayor Tammy Hart of South Stormont who had the courage to post her concerns that  the French language, representing a miniscule percentage (4%)of the Ontario population, is taking a prominent position, not just on signs but in the public sector hiring policy.

Personal bilingualism may be a worthwhile personal pursuit, but ‘Official bilingualism’ is bilingualism enforced by law, with the astrnomical costs picked up by taxpayers!  

Keep in mind the statements made, on November 13th, l982, to the Acadian Association of Nova Scotia  by former Secretary of State Serge Joyal, (now a Senator)….quote “Everything we undertake, and everything we are doing to make Canada a French state is part of a venture I have shared for many years with a number of people”.  He went on to say, “The idea, the challenge, the ambition of making Canada a French country both inside and outside Quebec … is something a little beyond the ordinary imagination”. 

Does that not ring a bell as to what is presently taking place in our country?

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77 Comments

  1. Another well written letter,thank you for taking the time to compose it ,many people here in Cornwall still asleep at the wheel,wake up Cornwall & smell the coffee,also thank you to CFN for reporting these great letters

  2. Dude, why don’t you just learn how to speak French like I did and you won’t have to raise your bloodpressure again. Besides, Canada is a bilingual country and Cornwall is a stone’s throw from Quebec. And by the way, over 40,000 kids are in French Immersion in BC–that’s right, British Columbia. Put on some good Karkwa tunes and parlez some francais.

  3. Time to demand a full house revote as an election issue.

  4. Just for hinting at what is said in the next-to-last paragraph of this so unnecessary letter, its author should be considered quite out of her mind. This is clearly a page taken from the book by Jock V. Andrews entitled ‘‘Bilingual today, French tomorrow’’. (An absolute piece of rubbish, if I ever heard of one.) The ‘‘Frenchification of Canada’’. Good grief! As if that were possible…

  5. James “Parlez some francais” might work for you in BC but speaking both languages in the same sentence here only works for the Francophone. James follow those 40,000 kids through and see where they end up please. Most will give it all up when they enter High School, a handful will graduate with their bilingual diploma, and to think all those unemployed English teachers never finding work in BC..

  6. Thank you Ruth Wood for taking the time to write this excellent letter! We appreciate your support!! Like mariah says, people here still need to wake up to what is really going on. We are getting the message out and people are now finally speaking out.

    As for you “Mr”. James, wasting money to “create” bilingual children to serve only a mere 4% of the community will be a flop. Any idiot can see this without even doing a study on it. No use, lose. The language will NOT stick. AND for what purpose? 4%. Time to get back to reality!!!!!

  7. I just read this article with disbelief and of all things the people who have read me in SF and CFN knows that I support bilingualism all the way. I do have to say that I am shocked that David Peterson and some other guy want to make Ontario quite French along with the rest of Canada. I too am wondering how they are going to do that.

    Chris Cameron has a job here in Ottawa as a nurse and Ottawa is exactly at the Quebec border and he is working. Chris cannot gain full employment in Cornwall which is near the Quebec border but in no way as close as what we have here in Ottawa of a skip and a hop across the bridge. Something sure isn’t right at all – “something sure is rotten in Denmark” like what Shakespeare said.

    I was surprised that someone posted about BC pushing French since that is the west where English rules. I do know that there are some French people who live out west and some have French schools but never have I heard of it in demand.

    I have heard of a French walk in clinic in Cornwall and that shocked me and when I read a few of Chris articles I even agreed that Cornwall needs to be bilingual but never have I thought that it went this far.

    I can say that you opened my eyes into something that I was not aware of and thanks for posting.

    I know how very or should I say mighty difficult it is to learn French and I was put in a French school by my mother who was French and my dad was anglophone. I walked the floors at night till 3 a.m. memorizing poetry, catechism, and everything else and it was hard. Today I am much better in French than English and I sometimes put the cart before the horse in my writing.

    We had a hard time here in Ottawa to put my daughter in a French school even though both my husband and I are fluently bilingual and my husband is trilingual. There is quite a racist system among the French. We had to put our children in a bilingual school and my daughter was good at learning but my son was a special case. I left my son in an anglophone setting. My husband’s nephew who lived in France for 5 years (Paris that is) spoke to the principal of a French school and got her in. Without him it would have been a dream.

    In the past my much older sisters couldn’t get employed in Cornwall except for the eldest who was a registered nurse but the one who was a secretary couldn’t. It was in demand back in the 50’s era and that is how my mother shoved me into that system and I never regretted it at all.

    Well you sure opened my eyes in this column that is for sure. I don’t think that many people are aware about this and the word should be spread around.

  8. Canada is english and french. you should be taxed if you are not officialli bilingual to cover the governments costs to make it so.

  9. Le Renard beu??
    Le Renard should know the facts before he criticizes Ruth Wood’s letter regarding Serge Joyal’s speech. Serge Joyal did indeed say “Everything, we undertakeand every thing we are doing to make Canada a French state is part of a venture I have shared for many years with a number of people making Canada a French country both inside and outside Quebec. ” was the speech he made to the Federation of Nova Scotia in 1982 when he was Sec. of State. Please check it out.
    The truth hurts the blind who fail to open their eyes to see what is happening to our once united country of Canada. It takes a small percentage who are in love with their dying language to ruin the whole country.
    Dot Davies-Fuhrman

  10. Congratulations, Ruth Wood!! This is a well-hidden fact that bears repeating over and over again – we were betrayed by our politicians who sold their souls for a few French votes. This is NOT a bilingual country – it is a country with two languages legislated into being at the Federal level. Quebec has refused to accept this and has gone out of its way to make English almost illegal. I say almost because unless there are 50% of a municipality with English-speakers, service is not offered in English. The only officially bilingual province is New Brunswick where the 30% French-speakers are running the show. Dieppe has just passed a by-law that mandates French first or French only (but NOT English only) on commercial signs. Ontario with 4% French-speakers spends millions every year making sure that French-speakers are given 1st class service in schools & health-care centres where French service is provided at a higher cost per user than those provided for English-speakers. Francophones and Francophiles will deny that this is happening but there are fair-minded ones among them who do acknowledge that this is happening. English-speakers have to understand that they, and only they, can change the situation. Sit back and do nothing and you will end up losing all your rights. The least you can do is pay attention to what’s happening around you & ask yourself how a minority language can replace merit & experience in jobs. Join a language group like the Canadians for Language Fairness (www.languagefairness.ca) or Language Fairness for All (www.languagefairnessforall.org) and find out more about this abominable policy that discriminates so blatantly against the English-speaking majority.

  11. To the very naive James, take it from someone who speaks French “mieux que toi”…you will not be considered “bilingual enough” to work for the federal government, nor the BC one in those areas if they work similarly to Ontario. The test and proficiency for you in French vs. that of a less-qualified francophone in English is as different as night and day.

    To the blue wolf, name one thing in JV Andrew’s book that has not come true. The Frenchification of Canada has been taking place for the last 30+ years. Gee, want proof? 60% of federal funds for Canada Day going to Kaybec. A disproportionate amount of equalization payments, which Kaybec of course claims not to need since they are economically viable as their own country (nothing could be further from the truth), and something like 75-80% (I forget the exact figure) of federal government jobs given to francophones—some bilingual, some not. Considering the events in New Brunswick, where the 30% minority is running roughshod over the 70% majority, you are either wilfully naive, blind, or secretly fearful that English Canada is waking up and realizing the nightmare that radical/racist francophones are perpetuating on the rest of us—-and with our tax dollars, no less. Not to mention funding for FRENCH hospitals, FRENCH schools and FRENCH festivals, WHERE NUMBERS DO NOT WARRANT. The amount for English schools and hospitals in Kaybec?

    A Toronto accountant (far more reliable than the federal government, in whose best interest it is to keep things secret, although he has far fewer figures to deal with) has said that since 1970 Canada has spent approximately $1.5 TRILLION on Frenchification (there is no such thing as bilingualism, unless you ignore—as most francophones do—the fact that Kaybec declares itself exempt from pushing minority languages) and has made virtually no dents in the numbers. Only one Canadian in six is evaluated as bilingual (mostly, no doubt, anglophones from Kaybec just struggling to survive that racist province day to day).

    I am all for bilingualism….AS LONG AS IT STARTS IN, AND WITH, KAYBEC. Otherwise, Canada is not a bilingual country, the program has failed and funding should be DRASTICALLY reduced if not scrapped.

    The only good thing to come out of this discussion is the fact that most of English Canada is fed up with Kaybec, the spoiled child of the federation, and a recent survey said that only 52% would vote to keep it in Canada, and 88% said Canada should not spend money to beg/bribe it to stay. Telling figures, indeed. And at least it has made believers out of many. I am personally pulling for Pauline Marois and the PQ to win the election next month AND hold a referendum. Canada should counter with its own. And then the fun begins of carving up the borders of a new Kaybec, before saying goodbye to a future third world country (they already possess the mentality of a tinpot dictatorship) while rebuilding English Canada into a healthier, happier nation.
    Where do I vote?

  12. “Meanwhile, Dalton McGuinty’s Ontario, whose main industry these days seems to be red ink, must wear the shame of going from Canada’s economic powerhouse to a collector of interprovincial pogey from formerly impoverished cousins like Saskatchewan, the other major success story. And it is shameful.

    Supposedly equalization exists to promote fairness and protect citizens from a disastrous collapse in public services if a given provincial government experiences financial disaster.”

    http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2012/08/20/20121476.html

  13. I THINK a fox and a wolf are the same thing….am I wrong?

  14. Le renard, is it really plagiarism ? Just read bits and pieces of the letter..its all crap. A magic number, 0.008 %, we bitch about 0.008%. If mr harper would stop wasting billions on planes and slush funds for his friends …then maybe it would seem like alot of money.

  15. We, the English speaking people of Canada, should not have to put up with the abuse we are taking from the French. Speakikng a second language should be by choice not forced on people. Any young people of today do not understand that Latin was compulsory, before French. We should get rid of the French Act as the vote was not unanimous, so therefore be struck down. There are many languages in today’s society, so you French people, get with the program and BACK OFF!!!!!!!!!! We all have a history and a heritage, so stop your bullshit!!!!!!!!

  16. Besides those 25 designated zones which take in Toronto even, we see planning within a dedicated government department and dedicated government staff to show government departments how to add more French. Somewhere along the line, we went from providing services for French only speakers, to services for bilingual people. Most could understand helping a French only and would be more acceptable to the majority. So, 4.8% (from the definition wording change of 4.2% in 2009) would mean about 1% freeing up a lot of money for our core services…or extreme debt & deficits.

    Ontario Liberal government hates English people but wants their taxes, what else can one assume? To pass high school, you only need pass one French course out of 32. However, more and more jobs are being changed to bilingual without any kind of needs assessments. We really don’t need so many jobs bilingual!

    Judges hate English people but accet the pensions from all. What else can one assume? They force private business in 4 townships to provide bilingual signs!

  17. It’s time to write a sequel “Bilingual yesterday, French today”. Trudeau’s master plan to make Canada a French State has been unfolding uninterrupted…so far.

  18. Awesome letter Ruth! I commend you for it.

  19. Good to hear from you Ruth. You gave everyone knowledge of how the French Language Services Act transpired in Ontario. Every time i see that Francophone flag flying in front of the legislature, I want to cut it down. I well remember Art Eggleton
    then Mayor of Toronto, now well fed and cushy occupier of a Senate of Canada seat, when some of the towns and cities refused to declare themselves bilingual; He publicly stated “These red-necked Neanderthal racist bigots should be ashamed of themselves.” (or words to that effect). Unfortunately the vast majority of the English-speaking general public still has no idea of the War being waged against them by their own governments who are still idiot enablers in the Pierre Elliott Trudear conspiracy. Good work
    .
    .

  20. @ Ruth,
    Thanks for the well informed letter.

    It disgusts me that the french services language act which directly impacts the daily lives of 13 million people, as well as their livelihoods was not even debated but pushed through the legislator.

    Why?why? With a government that debates issues far more smaller in impact -for months at a time -allow this bill 8 go through without debate as well in french only?

    Why had Dalton said “He will be proud to be premier of the next officially bilingual province “.
    Did we the people demand that of our province ?
    Why implement the FLSA at cost of 624 million for 4% of the population?

    There is a hidden agenda -NO QUESTION

    Serge Joyal -a traitor in my view followed what his boss
    Pierre Elliot Trudeau told him :

    Former Secretary of State Serge Joyal, (now a Senator)….quote “Everything we undertake, and everything we are doing to make Canada a French state is part of a venture I have shared for many years with a number of people”

    What Trudeau has done is sealed the fate of Canada to separate.
    Through his political agenda’s now the Government of Canada discriminated against its majority ,and continues with immunity.

    Then comes a time when the population feels disenchanted and marginalized and resentment and ill-content occur and the population rises to bring about “Equality for All “.

    Till then the English in Canada remain a second class ,as they choose this !

  21. 0.008% to serve more then 7 million people…ok by me.

  22. Patrick said:
    again, I’ll repeat myself, 0.008% of the budget. The government spends 0.008% of the budget on bilingualism… are we just complaining here on 0.008% ?

    Rights! That is what this is all about -all people’s should be treated the same !
    No elite class -as what is really happening here -do we start a cast system as in India?
    No one culture should have dominance over another.

    Remember language only plays as small part of culture yet it is a tool used very effectively by Provincial and Federal government
    to implement a discriminatory policy and hire disproportional for one culture!

  23. Oh Partick ,

    S.Allen a reputable financial researcher wrote that that true cost in bilingualism is 3.1 trillion in his estimate .

    Now please tell me that you disagree with an expert as such and your grounds to dismiss it !

    Are you a financial researcher?
    That 2.4 billion the government spends is direct costs !
    what about the other intrinsic costs -surely much more then the direct!
    What other impacts on society:

    Mass migration to other provinces where bilingualism is not mandated!
    Loss of skilled and Educated workers -for only reason of a mandated language-how many left for the USA.

    How many are over Educated and under employed because of the mandate of french services everywhere?

    The government is the largest employer in Canada -yet what 70% bilingual requirement of that 17% of the population-that is truly discriminatory in nature .

    Welcome to Canada you must except we have a cast system,
    as such you are encourage to learn french (MANDATED) throughout the country-yet 96 % outside of Quebec speak ENGLISH .

    Just remember Serge Joyal statement !

  24. Highlander,
    so much fabrication on your part its laughable. How can he come up with a figure if its not measured, did he just guess ? By his calculations you could blame everything because of bilingualism. If people move from one town to another to get work, it isnt always because of bilingualism. I’ll stick with something that is sure, and i’m glad you agree with me, BILINGUALISM COSTS 0.008 %. No, i’m not a financial researcher, but I can add up figures.

    So to recap, 0.008 % for services to more then 7 million people.
    Nous payons des taxes, nous avons le droit de réclamer les services dans notre langue. Il faut arrêter de blâmer et de fabriquer des chiffres pour défendre votre point de vue. Peut-être que si vous n’avez pas l’emploi que vous voulez, ce n’est sûrement pas simplement qu’une question de langue ?

  25. For one culture ,and no other!

  26. Thank you so much Ruth for bring to light the deception used to bring about and enforce the French Languages Services Act. It truly is responsible for a tremendous waste of Ontario Tax payer’s money. And, on top of that, because of this piece of legislation, Ontario tax payers are now funding numerous services for a tiny segment of the population that is not available to english speaking citizens. This disgraceful act must be put to an end.

    RR

  27. Thanks, Ruth; for a very well written letter ! I sure, we all hope to see the government of the day put an end to this “French Language Service Act” and put an end to this extreme waste of taxpayers hard-earned money, thoroughly for all of Canada.

  28. Correction here: the 2nd sentence should have started – I’m sure, we all hope . . . Sorry, should have proof-read before hitting – “post comment” . . .

  29. I read Tyler’s article and yes out west they can learn Italian, German, Spanish and other languages which is a very good thing indeed. What is going to outdo French is the Mandarin Chinese and that is the truth.

    Mandatory French was used to divide Canada. If you can all go and read Daniel Estulin’s book on “Group Bilderberg” you will see Canada mentioned where the Bilderbergers want trouble in Canada and throughout the world to usher in a “one world totalitarian fashist government” and the author mentions Trudeau in his book that he went or belonged to their group. Look up Daniel Estulin on youtube.com and he is a Russian emigre to Canada but now lives in Spain. There is plenty that he talks about so listen to him very carefully.

    I would like to say more but my right arm and shoulder have been killing me for 2 weeks now and I am going for an X-ray in the morning.

    Chris Cameron you have a very good profession where you can work in many places and you are in demand. Do not get discouraged. Alberta wants people like yourself desparately and even Tyler mentioned that as well. A man from Alberta told me that they need skilled tradesmen as well as nurses. Cornwall is not the end of the line – gee I hope not. Everyone would be in terrible trouble for sure.

    Chris back in the 40’s and 50’s era in Cornwall Marlborough Street was a dividing line where English and French didn’t cross and it kind of reminds me that a turf war in language is heading your way. Take care.

  30. Didn’t Trudeau state that the Official Languages Act was designed to unify Canada?
    3.1 Trillion? Sounds more like the cost of a war, doesn’t it?
    – The Vietnam War cost $686 billion.
    – The Iraq War cost about $694 billion.
    – WW2 cost (in 2005 US dollars) $4.4 trillion.

    Is the OLA, Quebec’s Genocide (war), against English Canada and aren’t English Canadians paying for it? How convenient!

    Google: UN + Genocide
    Google: “Physical destruction”.
    It is all there, just connect the dots.

  31. and thank you again to this newspaper for allowing freedom of speech!

  32. Barry, 3.1 trillion ??? really ?? So, 2.4 billion times 40 years = 3.1 billion. We don’t have a language problem we have a math problem.

  33. Cause toujours, Barry…

    Whatever, Barry…

  34. Hello…James Natsis. Canada is clearly NOT bilingual…we simply have two official languages. Proof of that reality is that ROC, outside of Quebec, is overwhelmingly English at 97% of all Canadians. IF, we were really bilingual…than we wouldn’t have an English majority in the Rest of Canada…see how that works?

    Probably should stop drinking the koolaide and take a good look around. If, you were in B.C. you would know that English dominates with a large number of Mandarin/Chinese speakers followed by Punjab speakers. Believe that the French minority accounts for 1.4% of British Columbia residents.

    Learn French if you wish, but seems to me you would be better served in learning one of the relative minority languages of B.C.

    Just my opinion, of course…it is a free Country, afterall!

  35. Hello to James…think you might be onto something there and I quote: “Canada is english and french. you should be taxed if you are not officialli bilingual to cover the governments costs to make it so.”

    Have an even better idea…how about: (1) Lets tax the English Canadians, for the provision of English services in Canada. (2) Then, we can tax the French Canadians for the provision of French services throughout Canada.

    What do you say…it works for me!!!

  36. Hello Patrick Boucher!

    Quote: “0.008% to serve more then 7 million people…ok by me.”

    Good to hear…why don’t you pay for it, then!!!

  37. Patrick,
    S. Allen, a reputable financial researcher wrote that that true cost in bilingualism is 3.1 trillion in his estimate.

    This is the total for the 40 years, according to Highlander.

    Do you thing even 1 trillion would be worth something we really didn’t need at the time Patrick? English Canada didn’t have a unity problem but Quebec needed jobs for the thousands families that had up to 16 children, thanks to the Quebec baby bonus that was paid for by English Canadians.
    Like the Bay of Tonkin or weapons of mass destruction, every leader needs a reason to incite war. Trudeau’s was genocide against the English, who are paying for their own demise..

  38. “Personal bilingualism may be a worthwhile personal pursuit, but ‘Official bilingualism’ is bilingualism enforced by law, with the astrnomical costs picked up by taxpayers!”

    What astronomical costs? Again, are you confusing French education and “enforced bilingualism”? Please show me the cost of “enforcing bilingualism”………………..This LFA is not for “all”!

    Here is a question: “Should businesses be forced to hire Anglophones over Bilingual employees?” No, they shouldn’t!

    I am officially tired of listening to the cronic complaints and would like to here some recommendations! Vote for someone who will fight for you on parliment hill or start exacting some change instead of protesting everything French while tile them you are fighting for all!!!!!

    Again, you are only fighting for “all” anglophones and truely not all people!

    Thank You,
    Mike Bedard

  39. We are colleen… we are!! 7 million people out of the whole country aren’t tax exempt. Reading your post i’m just reminded of this french proverb¨”Rien ne convient mieux à l’ignorant que le silence.¨

  40. Barry, first of all trudeau was as much an anglo then a franco. I recommend you listen to his speech when he was criticized for being more Elliott then Trudeau, should be around 1980 near the referendum. Trudeau was and still is the greatest PM we ever had. I chose to be positive, I still think we can live along side one another with rights entrenched in the constitution to protect languages and culture. Not agreeing with that in my opinion is just being anti canadian.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ofi2CtT_eY

  41. Oh, and back to your question. Nope, 2.4 billion times 40 years does not equal 1 trillion.

  42. The problem with living side by side Patrick, is that you don’t want to be equals, you want to be superior.

  43. Partick last 2006 stats Canada it was 17% was francophone :

    Of that 17 % -only 4% outside of Quebec -of which Quebec does not believe in bilingualism.
    This would explain for bilingualism costs -Quebec -50 million
    -Ontario -624 million
    Now explain why Ontario spends over 1200% more on bilingualism then Quebec-yet bilingualism is for Quebec ?

    Patrick said:
    ” Just because you refuse to learn french and tolerate diversity in your life, doesn’t mean everyone else should!!.”

    It would be far easier and cheaper to teach English to the french!

    Over the past 42 years 3.1 trillion -yes Patrick trillion as quoted by S.Allen a financial researcher of which you believe you are better at by defining that through your calculations that he is wrong !

    42 years and bilingualism has not grown more then .006 % or 210,000 -no company would throw money at a project like this it would be deemed 0 net return -and a complete wast of money!

    That $ 3,100,000,000 would have been better for social programs for ALL rather then appeasement(bribery) for the francophone’s this is akin to greasing the wheels as similar to Quebec’s construction industry!

    If people want the additional service -those same people should pay for it rather then the entire population of which will never use it !

  44. Mike said,

    This LFA is not for “all”!

    Why do you continue to defame our group Language Fairness for All???

    Again, I will say do your homework Mike before your spew propaganda about our group.
    We are fighting for fair government hiring policies for ALL!

    No where in this LTE was LFA mentioned,nor have any official members posted comments,but you continue to degrade our cause.

    Again,if you need more info to be informed contact us through our website; http://www.languagefairnessforall.org.

    Have a nice day!!!

  45. Patrick, I presume that you are predominately English and living in Montreal. The English in Montreal fear separation because you will most likely be forced to leave Quebec just like so many of you have and as the English in N.B. are doing now. Although we feel for you, unless the Official Languages Act is abolished, what is happening in Quebec (French), will spread across Canada. What am I saying?, it already has.
    The ROC have been forced to learn the language of the minority aka genocide, to work in the Federal government and this is now spreading to the Provincial & Municipal levels and into the private sector as in N.B. and Ontario.
    This is why we can no longer support the English in Quebec. You are dragging us down with you and it is not fair. Please get out of Quebec and let them have it. As I have stated, we feel for you, however we cannot let you drag us down with you. Look at it realistically, you are living in a Province where the majority is ethnic cleansing you and have no recourse. Get out of Quebec and please help save the ROC.

  46. I have a feeling that barry and highlander have answers ready before reading my comment.

    1) Here are the facts: 7 million francophones out of 32 million people equals 21.8 %.

    2) Bilingualism costs: 2.4 billion a year which represent roughly 0.008% of the Canadian budget.

    3)In five years, Montreal will be mostly anglophone even with la loi 101.

    4) 3.1 trillion is a made up figure that doesn’t represent facts. 2.4 billion times 40 doesn’t equal 3.1 trillion. (..and you can’t include supposed costs that might have been had it been different)

  47. Author

    Patrick would it be wrong if Montreal were as you put it “mostly anglophone” which I think we both know isn’t true? Anglophones have been in Montreal for an awfully long time and in spite of being chased out by the hundreds of thousands still are pretty lively there having built institutions; some of which are still there.

    The Middle Eastern wave of immigration to Montreal has humongous birth rates far exceeding any group in Montreal. Is that wrong? Can you force people to change who they are? Nope.

    See that’s something that certain Quebec political types don’t get. You can’t engineer a society to the degree they wish too and frankly non Francophones don’t owe anyone to be Francophone. That’s why Montreal has lost its life and lustre from the 70’s to today.

    So instead of ripping down, tearing apart, and forcing people to leave they simply have to build their own. Doing so at the expense of another group is essentially what the Nazi’s did. Drive people from their homes and businesses and put in their own people.

    Is that what you stand for?

  48. Jaime, I didn’t say that. There is nothing wrong with being unilingual anglo. But, had it not been for la loi 101, montreal would have been an anglo town. In my opinion, and I can guess the future post coming up but i’m going to say anyway, Québec does need stricter language laws. Assimilation is too strong even in Québec.

    And, dear jamie, No one through you out of Québec. You through yourself out of Québec by refusing to speak or learn french. And even then you could have stayed, rather, you left and now brand yourself a martyr.

    You haven’t been to Montreal in a while then jaime. Montreal is a beautiful, vibrant town with alot of diversity. And although I wasn’t around in the 70s, Montreal is still the second most populated city in Canada. They must have done something right. No one is forcing anyone to do anything they don’t want. Heck the mayor of Baie Durfé is unilingual anglo, the former head of la caisse du dépôt of Québec was unilingual anglo. Is there something wrong with that, NOPE.
    – I encourage you to watch the following video. It’s in french so you might need someone to translate it for you. But the gist of it is, in 2016, Montreal will be mostly anglo.

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